


Not so typical love story

by d_kahali



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, Gay, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Other, POV Original Character, POV Original Female Character, Victorian, f/f - Freeform, m/m - Freeform, very gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:48:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23557099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/d_kahali/pseuds/d_kahali
Summary: Set in the Victorian period, a young woman is sent to an all women's boarding school by her conservative parents. While there, she makes the most unlikely of relationships. This isn't really for other people (though I welcome you if you're here), I just wanted to put my story somewhere.TW: Slight homophobia in later chapters.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The author (me) has done extensive research on items, clothing, customs, and laws set in the Victorian times. If you are qualified and know I have something wrong, please tell me! Any and all explanations will be in the notes at the bottom of each chapter.

The days were longer back then. And the sun shone just a little bit brighter. A little girl ran around in the mud, chasing her older brother. Light shone in her eyes as she giggled, pushing her brother into a puddle. He squeaked and grabbed her arm, pulling her along with him. Their mother stepped out of the house behind them, wiping her hands on her apron after a hard day’s work. She smiled approvingly until she saw the state of their muddy and disheveled clothing

She began yelling at the girl, telling her that she was not meant to be rolling in the mud as it wasn’t lady-like. The girl pouted and let herself be dragged into the sink by her mother, and shrieked as a bucket of cold water was poured on her. The mother dressed the girl, telling her that she was bringing her to a richer side of town where the mother was to be working for a few years, eager to gain a little extra money.

A few miles away, a servant was dressing another little girl in a large lavish house, telling her fantastical stories about her new playmate, who she would meet soon, being princesses and ruling the Parliament of England. The girl giggled, allowing the servant to tug the dress onto her.

The mother and child travelled across town and through the mud of recent rains, the older being careful to keep her and her child’s clothing as clean as possible. They reached a large white house, and the mother rapped tightly on the door. A servant woman answered and let them in, a little girl behind her leg. As soon as the girl saw the mother and child, she grabbed the other girl’s hand and pulled her upstairs, both giggling.


	2. A New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "*" followed by a number means that there will be an explanation in the notes at the end.

**POV: Adrienne**

The young teen slammed her trunk shut, hurtling across her room, retrieving her sketch pad, quills, and ink pots meant for art out of her drawer. Today was the day she had been dreading. In early March of 1856, her parents had decided she was too “masculine,” and enrolled her in an all-girls boarding school set to begin in September. She had thought that by the time fall had rolled around, she would have convinced them otherwise and been able to stay at home with her friends from primary school. That was not the case.

Not that she would miss her family much. Her parents had always been rather down on her interests. They would scoff at her ink covered hands, suggesting that she sew rather than sketch out her intricate architectural designs or beautiful women who could only be compared to goddesses. No, she was much more upset about leaving her quaint village to go to some school for stuck-up snobs, the type who looked down on her as she worked to gain money.

Her parents thought that she had gotten involved with the “wrong type,” disgusted at her more liberal morals and refusal to marry a “nice young man who you can settle down with, maybe have some little ones.” She was always uncomfortable with the idea of being with a man and having children, preferring women with their soft curves and puckered lips. Her brother was the complete opposite of her, he followed instructions and married into the middle class. He was attempting to make his way in the marketing business, and was slowly succeeding. Nevertheless, he supported her through everything.

Being mindful of time, Adrienne stomped down the stairs, not bothering to say goodbye to her mother as her father stuffed her in a small carriage. A quiet hour and a half later, they arrived in Scotland. 

“Well then, good luck. Keep up with your studies. Your mother and I would be very disappointed if we had to pull you out for bad behavior,” her father said. 

Adrienne simply rolled her eyes and headed towards the entrance, where a very proper looking woman stood awaiting her arrival. The lady nodded at her father and led Adrienne inside. The woman smiled graciously at Adrienne, and began her speech. 

“Welcome to Lady Marshall’s Academy for Young Women*1. I am Tasha Marshall, but you are to call me Mrs. Marsh or Lady Marsh. I understand that your parents have enrolled you here to ensure your proper education in the hopes that you become the social model of a woman. We will prepare you for the hardships of the real world, including dealing with discrimination based on your sex as well as handling a dull husband,” she said, guiding the girl to a small parlor. ”Not only that, but we have some more… liberal values*2, if you would.”

“Let’s chat about daily routines. Wake up is at 6:00 am on the dot; you must report to your administrator at 6:15 am fully dressed, petticoats to overdress. Festivities begin at 5:00 tonight. Your room name is Waterfall. Understood?”

Adrienne nodded. The lady continued, “A welcoming ceremony will begin in fifteen minutes. Please take this time to gather yourself,” at which Lady Marsh swept from the room, not until after she had glared at Adrienne's clothes and hair. 

She flushed, quickly attempting to gather her wind-tousled hair and smoothing her travel garments. She waited for Lady Marsh to return, anxiously bouncing her leg. A servant gently opened the door, motioning for Adrienne to follow her into a large hall. The servant led her to her seat, situated between two lovely, fancy girls. Adrienne quickly sat, avoiding eye contact with the ladies who were clearly judging her garb. 

As the ceremony finished, servants poured in to provide food and drink. After filling their bellies with rich food and alcohol, the girls turned in for the night to sleep and meet their roommates. Adrienne stepped into the room, and was met with the most beautiful lady she had laid her eyes on. The girl turned and smiled so radiantly she could outshine the sun. 

“Hello, I’m Colette Chamondelée. Pleasure to meet you! I arrived yesterday. And you are?”

Adrienne sputtered for a moment, then regained her composure. 

“I’m Adrienne Oaks.” Colette smiled, then turned her attention to Adrienne’s trunk.

“Oh my! That must be quite heavy after your journey here! Let me help you.” She brushed up against Adrienne, hauling it onto the bed closest to the window. “I hope you don’t mind, I took the bed by the doorway. I find it rather unpleasant to be by the window, as the morning sun wakes me easily.”

Adrienne shook her head, still in shock at the beauty before her. She carefully walked to the bed, uneasy from Colette’s previous proximity. Her tight bodice, the way she was able to gracefully sweep despite her heavy clothing made Adrienne’s chest tighten. The girl’s face was something even more to behold, an ethereal light in the dark room. The way she had grazed Adrienne’s arm while grabbing her trunk from her was enough to make the 16 year old dizzy. 

Adrienne was pulled from her thoughts by a sharp rap on the door. “Bedtime is approaching, so leaving the quarters is prohibited from now until morning,” Lady Marsh called. 

Colette turned to her, a look of disdain on her face. 

“What do you suppose we do now? I’m not properly tired yet, it would take me hours to fall asleep!” she cried. Adrienne thought for a moment, an idea popping into her head. She threw open her trunk, almost falling in while digging to the bottom. She rifled about, yelling “aha!” in her victorious search for a small deck of cards that she had stolen from her father. 

“What’s that?” Colette questioned, confused by the small rectangle of papers. 

“Why, it’s a deck of cards! Haven’t you used one before? Quite possibly the best item for filling time when one is in need of fun!” 

Colette huffed, clearly displeased at Adrienne’s display of pride.

“No, I haven’t. I’m sure my mother would disprove, thinking that this… ‘deck of cards’ is not for a lady.”

Adrienne laughed. It was obvious that Colette came from an upper class family, valuing strict codes of femininity and masculinity. While her parents certainly did have those same values, they were not as strict, as Adrienne’s income was quite useful during the winter when food was scarce. Adrienne had worked as a seamstress in a factory -- she had a small income, but it was enough. Now, however, it wasn’t needed, as her parents had one less mouth to feed.

She hopped onto Colette’s bed, dead set on her goal of teaching the intoxicating girl how to play a quick game of poker. She began to explain the rules and the game’s origin, delighted at the expression on Colette’s face when she discovered the game was created for gambling. 

The two took the pleasure of playing until the late hours of the night, finally feeling the exhaustion brought by their day of socializing, and, in Adrienne’s case, traveling. They slowly felt more dreary as time dragged on, eventually drifting off with the cards still in their hands.

Adrienne jolted awake at the sound of an alarm clock. She was not used to waking up this way, as her family did not own one. She was also not used to waking up in her travel garments and tangled up with another girl, whose head was on Adrienne’s chest. Remembering she had a measly fifteen minutes to pile on her layers, she detangled her arms from Colette’s, got out of the bed, and gently shook the sleeping girl awake. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing her stunning emerald eyes. She seemed surprised at seeing another girl in her room, then a look of recognition graced her features. 

“Let’s get you up and going, Colette! No time to waste!” Adrienne smirked, a plan formulating in her head on how to remove the girl from the bed. When Colette protested (just as she had predicted) she swiftly pulled the covers off of the girl, earning her a well-deserved shriek. Colette jumped out of bed, tossing the clothing she would need out of the provided closets. Adrienne sauntered over to her closet, discovering that they had been filled with all of the beautifully intricate dresses, petticoats*3, corsets, chemises, and drawers*4 that she may need while at the Academy. 

She picked out a plain set of drawers and chemise, along with a corset with little lace. She tugged them on and found that the corset fit remarkably well. Huffing on a heavy set of petticoats, she grabbed a plain green dress with a belt at the waist and ensured that it was secured well. 

She glanced at the clock on the wall, and, noticing that it was almost time for check-in, she linked her arm with Colette’s (who had just finished dressing) and headed to their administrator’s office, whose number had been posted on their door during the night. Adrienne knocked sharply on the door, hearing a soft indication to enter. A rather young lady sat before them, sitting in a stunning amount of turquoise layers. 

“Hello, I am Lady Waters. I am to be your administrator for the next six years. I will be taking your attendance and ensuring that you are keeping up with your studies.” The two girls waited while she marked their attendance. “You two may go. If you need anything, feel free to knock on my doors.”

They returned to their room and began their morning routines. Adrienne simply washed her face and waited while Colette applied makeup. The other girl peered curiously at her, and finished applying a lip tint.

“Adri, why aren’t you putting on your makeup?” Colette asked.

Adrienne flushed at the nickname. “I simply don’t have any. My family is barely rich enough to keep the house with me there, so it doesn’t seem necessary to me.” 

Colette seemed confused, but shook her head and plopped down in front of Adrienne. She grabbed the other girl’s chin and pulled her face towards hers, picking up her tint again.

“Colette, what are you doing?”

“I’m letting you borrow my makeup until we can go out and buy you some. I think you’d quite like it.” Colette returned her focus to apply the paste on Adrienne’s lips, following up with a creamy rouge*5 on her cheeks.

“You know, I used to have a friend I’d play in makeup with. When I was really little, my mother worked at a rich couple’s house and I would go with her and play with their daughter for hours,” Adrienne said. Colette’s eyes widened, and her cheeks reddened significantly, but she continued silently applying the makeup to Adrienne’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 - Lady Marshall’s Academy is based off of Bradford Academy in Massachusetts, which had become a source of higher education as an all-women’s college in 1837.  
> 2 - In the nineteenth century, gender roles were notably divided by “femininity” and “masculinity” to a higher degree than would be accepted in the twenty-first century, where women were highly encouraged to stay in the house and help with taking care of children and servants (if present). In the later half of the nineteenth century, however, it became customary for lower-class women to work until marriage.  
> 3 - Petticoats were used to create layers and volume to a woman’s dress. Women would even use crinolines, which were wire “cages” used to create a more extreme figure. By the 1860s, heavier petticoats began going out of style.  
> 4 - Drawers and chemises were used above the corset and under the dress to hide cleavage, as intense V-necks were popular during the 1850s.  
> 5 - Powder makeup wasn’t invented until the 1920s.


	3. Newfound Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get Colette's point of view! And some new characters ;)

The young women at the academy had the day to explore and get used to their class schedules. Colette and Adrienne agreed to go to their classes and then wander the grounds. They went to each class, and discovered that they had four out of six of their classes together. 

Once finished, they headed out to the lawns around the Academy. They headed over to the gardens, strolling through the hedges. The plants were green and leafy with flowers sprouting from their stems. 

As they reached the ending of the boundaries, they heard loud footsteps and shouting. Curious, they pulled aside branches of large plants, and saw something they would never expect. 

Through the hedge were groups of boys running in perfectly straight rows. Men were yelling at them to keep pace. One of the teens noticed them, sauntering over. He must have pulled off his shirt earlier from the heat because it was nowhere in sight.

“Hello, ladies,” he said. “How are you both today?”

Adrienne, who was not impressed by his obvious display of pride at his build, glanced at Colette, noticing her red face. She raised her eyebrow, hiked up her skirts (earning her a gasp from the two beside her) and jumped through the hedge to the boy’s side. She glanced around her, noticing that the boy’s side of the hedge was much less floral and proper, and more army-like. 

“Hi, I’m Adrienne, this is Colette. We’re from the Ladies’ Academy.”

“Well hello to you, Adrienne, and you, Colette. I’m James. Pleasure to meet you two,” he smiled. Colette flushed even further, while Adrienne scoffed.

“What are they doing?” Adrienne pointed to the boys running. 

“Training.”

“For what?”

“The military.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re young boys.”

“Why aren’t there any girls?”

“It’s not standard procedure.”

“Why aren’t you with them?”

“I’m in a higher year, so I’m helping coach them.”

“Well that doesn’t seem hardly fair. What if one of the younger boys knew more than you?”

“Why so many questions?” Adrienne glared, and turned to Colette, pulling her through the bush.

**POV: Colette**

She had known from the moment Adrienne had introduced herself that she was her best friend from childhood whose mother had worked for her family. After Adrienne had confessed to her about her friend from  _ her _ childhood, she was certain. The only problem was, Adrienne didn’t know. She also didn’t know that Colette had fallen in love with her.

Adrienne grabbed her arm and pulled her through the bush barrier, but on her way through, Colette stumbled on a low branch. She began falling, and snapped her eyes shut.

Instead of hitting the ground, a pair of arms wrapped around her midsection. Expecting to look up and see James, she saw Adrienne. Hiding her shock at the girl’s strength, she pulled herself up and brushed off her dress.

“Well. That was more trouble than expected, wasn’t it?” she huffed. James laughed and sat down. He turned his attention back to the boys running, and sighed.

“You two see that one coach by the third group running? That’s Eli. He’s one of the boys in my year, and he is quite possibly the most handsome specimen of a man that I have ever seen,” James sighed. The girls looked at each other in shock─ they hadn’t expected the love confession.

This allowed Colette to gather information from Adrienne. Based on the fact that she didn’t immediately recoil from James, she filed away the information that she was not repulsed by same-sex love, which was a good sign*1 . Adrienne barely faltered; she had simply nodded along to James’s rambling. 

A bell chimed three times, and the girls perked up. They had been told that the welcoming festivities would begin at 5, and they would like some time to get changed.

“James, it seems as though our time today has ended. We must return to the Academy, as we have some activities starting,” Colette said, smiling politely. James turned his attention towards the two, smiled and waved, then returned to watching Eli.

Adrienne jumped to her feet, then helped Colette. They smiled at James and thanked him, then headed back through the hedge. They skipped along through the gardens and returned to the large building, where they returned to their room. 

Colette sighed and sat on her bed. She reached behind her and began unlacing her day dress, pulling it off of her body. She then followed by removing one layer of petticoats. They were unnecessary, as she was going to be wearing a cage crinoline, creating a more dramatic figure. She picked up a much more decorative corset cover*2 , removing her every-day one. She tied the fancy cover into place, carefully folding the lace comfortably around the collar. She turned to Adrienne, and was stricken when the girl wasn’t wearing her corset or chemise.

Colette stepped towards the other girl, running her hand along Adrienne’s bare stomach. Adrienne stiffened, then melted, realizing who it was. She leaned into Colette’s hand, sighing gently.

They were pulled out of their daze by four chimes. Colette jumped back from Adrienne and continued dressing. She laced together the front of her crinoline, making sure it was tight enough to not slip off under a dress. Heading over to the closet, she picked out a frilly deep burgundy dress with a black shawl. 

She turned to Adrienne, who was wearing a very lovely deep cerulean gown and carrying a matching parasol. They linked arms and strutted down the stairs to the large hall, where there were beautiful decorations lining the moulding and doorways. In the larger room separate from the hall where they were to eat, there were several large tables with delicate flower displays. There was even room for a dance floor, which shone bright from recent waxing.

Little name cards had been placed by each seat, with roommates placed together for a sense of comfort. The girls found their seats, which were right by the dance space, and sat down, awaiting food and the other students. Slowly, more girls in pairs trickled in. A redhead and a girl with very long, black hair sat to their left and a short-haired brunette and a girl with bright blue eyes sat to their right. They all politely smiled, and chatted quietly in their pairs. 

Soon, the doors were closed and Lady Marsh stood at the front of the room.

“Ladies, welcome to the end of the reconciliation day. I hope it was pleasant for all of you. As some of you may have discovered, there is indeed a boy’s academy behind ours. You may travel there through a door in our hedge, however you may only do so during free-time and you may not have… romantic relationships with those in the boys’ academy without permission from either your supervisor or all four parents. In an attempt to create good relations, we have invited them to dinner tonight; as you may have noticed there are twice as many seats as necessary. So, please give a warm welcome to the men of St. Charles’ Military Academy!” She opened her arms wide, and the large double-doors opened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 - Abolition of the death penalty for sodomy (anal or oral intercourse) in England was not approved until 1861, and the decriminalization of relationships between two consenting men in England and Wales was not approved until 1967, so opinions regarding same-sex relationships were generally homophobic.  
> 2 - Corset covers were used to cover the chest due to deep V-neck lines, and were similar to chemises. The main difference being that chemises were similar to shirts, while corset covers had buttons.


	4. The Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dance commences...

**POV: Adrienne**

A stream of teenage boys entered, bowing and blowing kisses to girls on their way to their seats. A couple young ladies whipped out their fans to keep themselves from hyperventilating. To the luck of Adrienne and Colette, they saw two boys they recognized sit across from them.

“Hello again, James. You didn’t inform us that you’d be joining us tonight. Who’s that with you?” Adrienne smirked, knowing it was Eli. However, she hadn’t been properly introduced to him yet and didn’t want to betray James’ trust.

The girls sitting around them gaped at the introduction and the two boys’ builds. Adrienne and Colette glanced at each other, resisting the urge to scoff at the ridiculous girls.

“I’m Eli,” the boy said, a confused look on his face at the rest of the girls’ reactions at their entrance. 

“And now, for food!” Lady Marsh called, quieting all conversation. Several servants rushed through the room, carrying plates full of the first course, which was served as family-style appetizers. They ranged from garlic and butter piled on bread to baked potatoes stuffed with cheese, butter, and onions.

As plates made their way onto the table, the students began heaping spoons of rich food onto their dainty plates. Several minutes of silence passed as people were digging into the food, tired from the first day. As soon as the appetizer plates were cleared, the second course began.

Beautifully spiced steaks and goose doused in red wine sauce were brought out, served alongside turmeric potatoes and chili greens. Heavily aged red wine accompanied the feast of each plate.

Adrienne had never seen quite this much food per person in her life. Sure, she had served at feasts, but never at this large of a scale. As soon as her beef-goose combo was placed in front of her, she began shoveling food into her mouth. Every bite was a new experience of deliciousness. She glanced at Colette, and noticing her polite manner of eating, slowed down her pace, embarrassed at her speed and lack of propriety. The second course dragged on for quite awhile, allowing Adrienne to submit to the influence of alcohol. 

Their table fell into a comfortable conversation, and she slowly learned more about her counterparts. The girls to her left were Cornelia and Amanda; to her right sat Cora and Edith. The six girls became fast friends. As for the boys, well… they were rather out of their element, but were getting along nicely with the four who were not the center of our attention. 

The dishes of the second course were whisked away, and a delectable dessert of rich chocolate cake was placed in front of each of the students. 

Not one much for chocolate, Adrienne scraped her piece onto Colette’s plate. 

“Have it. I don’t like chocolate.” Colette smiled at her, and within two minutes had finished both pieces. Adrienne laughed, and wiped the bit of chocolate on the girl’s mouth off with her thumb. She settled instead for the vanilla ice cream in front of her*1 .

The rest of the group stared at them, then shook their heads and continued eating. When most had finished their desserts, music started playing from a mini orchestra in the corner. Adrienne stood up, and instead of finding a boy to partner with she held out her hand to Colette. The girl flushed, but took her hand and stood. 

They made their way over to the floor and started a slow waltz. Adrienne stumbled at first, having trouble finding her footing, but eventually fell into a comfortable rhythm. They were well aware that people were staring; it was not proper for two women to dance together. Soon enough, James and Eli were dancing right beside them, making the scene even stranger. 

Eventually more people began joining in, however in much more traditional pairings. Adrienne did not let go of her partner at any point during the night, even as more and more boys came up asking the both of them for dances, and the other girl did not object at all. They clung to each other dance after dance, finding comfort in having another girl with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 - Modern ice cream was invented in 1671.


End file.
